The lesson covers the figurative meanings of the groom representing the spirit/Word of God and the bride representing those who receive and bear fruit from that Word. It discusses the Old Testament prophecy of God betrothing a faithful bride (Hosea 2:19-20) which was fulfilled at Christ’s first coming when the Spirit descended on Jesus (Matthew 3:16). At the second coming, there will be a “wedding banquet of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:7-9) where the faithful bride has made herself ready. To attend requires having righteous deeds as “wedding clothes” (Matthew 22:11-14), the “lamp” of the Word (Matthew 25:1-13), and the “oil” of the Spirit’s testimony (Revelation 10:8-11). In contrast, Babylon represents the unfaithful “bride” married to Satan (Revelation 18:23). A “widow” is a pastor/church who betrayed God’s covenant, and the congregation are “orphans” (Revelation 18:23). The main point is distinguishing the faithful bride from counterfeits and ensuring proper spiritual qualifications.

 

Study Guide SCJ Bible Study

Secrets of Heaven, the Figurative Groom, Bride, Widow, and Orphan

I hope that the second coming is becoming clearer. Previously, it was a bit of a blurry picture. We had some idea, but we really didn’t know the details. However, now that we’re learning the open word, the details are beginning to be filled in, especially regarding what we’ll be discussing today.

 

The groom represents a spirit, and the bride represents flesh.

The widow represents a pastor who has betrayed and is without the Holy Spirit.

An orphan would be a believer belonging to the pastor who has betrayed, meaning that pastor’s congregation.

 

Hopefully, as we’ve been studying, the logic behind this is already starting to make sense. 

 

A pastor is supposed to be able to receive the seed from above, the word from above, and give that word or seed that he has received to his congregation. That’s how things are supposed to work.

 

However, if a pastor becomes a widow, it means they are no longer receiving the word from above but receiving it from a different source, or not receiving it at all. This is the logic behind what we’ll be discussing today. Additionally, we’ll also be learning about the wedding banquet.

 

Our hope for today is to be qualified to enter the wedding banquet at the second coming.

 

What does it mean to be qualified? Qualification means that you meet specific criteria for something.

 

God doesn’t allow just anyone to stay at the wedding banquet. One must meet specific qualifications, and we’ll understand what those qualifications are today.

 

 

Figurative Groom and Bride

Old Testament Prophecy

I will betroth you. Let’s understand this a little bit here. This is an Old Testament prophecy.

 

If you look at all of Hosea chapter 2, God, at the beginning of the chapter, is lamenting about one who became like a harlot or prostitute. And how this harlot or prostitute had many different other husbands, figuratively speaking. And how God would basically divorce that harlot or prostitute.

 

But at the end of the chapter, starting from verse 19, there would be a different one that He would then betroth. This is why this “you” here (I will betroth you) is actually very important. Because when God says this one has no longer kept my covenant, God then moves on to another one.

 

So keep in mind that there is a different “you” here. The word betrothed represents another word for saying marry. So God is saying I will marry a different you.

 

And this you that I will betroth will be betrothed in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion, in faithfulness and acknowledgment of the Lord. Let’s understand what this means in more detail and how it plays out at the time of the first coming and also the time of the second coming as well.

1. Physical Characteristics of a Groom and a Bride

Romans 1:20 and Hosea 12:10

Romans 1:20 suggests that God uses physical things to explain Himself. He uses His creation to represent Himself.

 

And Hosea 12:10 states that God speaks through the prophets in dreams, parables, and visions. So, as we understand the physical characteristics, we can comprehend the spiritual characteristics. This is why we study the parables in the first place.

 

1. The groom gives the seed to the bride, and the result of that is a child.

 

These are the physical characteristics that God designed and created for a reason. Another crucial aspect is that before the seed is shared in normal or biblical circumstances, a covenant is established between the groom and the bride.

 

The covenant represents a serious promise, a vow that the two make to never break their commitment and remain together forever. It is within this covenant relationship that the seed is transferred in normal circumstances. Keep these points in mind.

2. Spiritual (True) Meaning of Groom and Bride

Remember, spirit and flesh. What does that mean?

Let’s see it in detail.

ONE – God is upset, similar to Hosea 2. If God wasn’t upset, there would be no need to establish a new covenant, different from the one established with the ancestors. At the end of verse 32, God said it will be different because they broke His covenant, though He was a husband to them. 

God, who is a spirit, is calling Himself a husband. This is the reason why God holds covenants, especially the marriage covenant, in such high regard.

 

The marriage between a physical man and woman is a figurative representation, a copy, an example, or model of what God does with His chosen people. Since the beginning, in the book of Genesis, what has God been doing? Establishing covenants with His chosen people, over and over again, like a husband does with his wife.

 

God does the same thing. So, how do you think God will feel if someone breaks His covenant, similar to how someone in a spousal relationship would feel if their covenant is broken? It would be an extremely painful experience.

 

We really have to understand how important God considers this and not overlook what God has promised He will do when covenants are broken. If God, who is a spirit, compares Himself to a husband, then who is He marrying spiritually? People.

 

And those people have a job to do, those that God marries or betroths. They have a job to do. Let’s see an example of what this job is like.

TWO – Is Paul physically a woman? No, he is a man, right? So, how can he be in the pains of childbirth? Ah, it must be spiritual, figurative, not literal. Of course, that makes sense. So, what is the logic here?

Well, which spirit did Paul encounter that changed his whole life? Jesus. Jesus comes to Paul and changes his entire existence. And what does he say to Paul? “You are now my chosen vessel.” In Acts 9:15, “You are my vessel to the world, to the Gentiles.” Go out and share the word that you have received, essentially. So, Jesus comes to Paul, and now Paul’s job is to be fruitful, to have children. And what does Paul give them? He gives them the seed, the seed that he received. He gives birth.

 

Now, is childbirth in any situation that you can describe it as easy? Only 50% of the class can answer this one because 50% of the class will actually go through it. How is childbirth, everybody? A piece of cake? Easy? No, no. Yeah, hands down, thumbs down, right? I’m sure it’s extremely painful. I’m not trying to make light of that situation because I understand it is not easy. Physical childbirth is extremely difficult. In fact, it could risk the life of the mother. That’s how difficult it is.

 

Well, guess what? Did Paul go through great risks to establish churches? Yeah, he had his life threatened numerous times. And then he would hear about the children that he had just given birth to, and they were up to shenanigans. So, he would have to write letters to them. I’m sure it was really painful. But his heart was like that of a mother. They must have Christ formed within them. They have to grow up and become mature believers because I will not always be here for them.

 

They have to be strong enough to take the torch after me, just like Jesus ensured that his disciples were strong enough to take the torch after him. And how every parent makes sure that their children can survive without them.

 

A child that cannot survive without their parent is a super sad situation. Not a good situation. So, maturity is really important.

 

But until that point, the person who was receiving that word has to make sure the children are mature. And Paul often called the early Christians his children, like in 1 Corinthians 6:13, where he says, “we call you children.”

 

Why? Because we gave birth to you. So, in this situation here, Paul is representing himself like a spiritual woman, which essentially means a pastor.

 

One who receives the word from the Spirit and must then give birth and nurture the congregation who are his children, essentially. So, let’s see an example of how Paul treated the maturity level of his children and made sure they received the food appropriate for where they were at that time.

So, what was Paul doing here as one who was in the pains of childbirth, and also something that a mother does with their child?

 

A mother cannot feed steak to a baby because the baby is not yet ready for solid food. A mother has to understand that the baby still needs milk. 

 

Every child reaches the stage of being ready for solid food at a different time, right? One older child might get there by around 18 months, but another might need 19 or 20 months. A mother will be able to determine when that point is reached.

 

A mother is supposed to be able to know when one child needs milk and when another is ready for solid food. This is just an example of how Paul, as a nurturing spiritual mother, was providing the appropriate nourishment to the congregation. The spirit, husband, and wife represent the bride and groom, and the seed is given from one to the next, resulting in spiritual children being born from that situation.

 

If we look back at Hosea 19:20, where God prophesies to betroth you, who is the specific “you” being referred to?

Hosea 2:19-20 (Old Testament Prophesy)

God promises to betroth you.

So who is this “you” here? And what does it mean to betroth? To betroth means to marry or become one. 

That’s what it means to get married. We often talk about this in detail. When we look at the relationship between a man and a woman, two people become one flesh, with one heart, one desire, one will, one plan.

 

It’s often difficult for two very different people to be able to become one. I’m learning that as well. It takes time for two to become one because they usually have different wills or ideas.

They have to understand and communicate with each other. Keep that in mind. Now let’s look at the fulfillment of this prophecy.

 

Who was the one that God came to at the time of the first coming? Jesus.

First Coming Fulfillment

The passage mentions that Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending from heaven like a dove and alighting on him. This “you” refers to Jesus himself.

 

The question is raised about understanding what Paul meant regarding Jesus’ relationship with the Father. To clarify this, a reference is made to John 10:30, where Jesus speaks about his relationship with the Father.

What did Jesus say? “I and the Father are one.”

 

So, what was Jesus’s role during his first coming? What was he meant to do with the word or the seed that he received from God?

 

His role was to share it with many people, as stated in John 17:8, “For I gave them the words that you gave me, and they accepted them and believed that you sent me.”

 

God was working through the flesh of his Son, Jesus, to accomplish the work of bearing many spiritual children during his first coming. These are the Christians, those who will keep the new covenant that he promised. We’ll explore this relationship further in the next level of Bible logic.

 

So the purpose of the first coming was along these lines. The second coming has a very similar logic behind it.

3. Spiritual Marriage (Wedding) at the Second Coming

ONE – What did Jesus compare this parable to? A wedding banquet.

What did he compare it to at the beginning? The kingdom of heaven.

The kingdom of heaven is likened to a wedding banquet.

 

Interesting.

And we are familiar with the kingdom of heaven being compared to things, right? In Matthew chapter 13, the kingdom of heaven is compared to six different things.

What are those things? It is compared to yeast, a net, a man who found treasure in a field, a seed, the mustard seed, and the weeds in the field. So, it is compared to many things.

 

If someone were to ask you, “What does the kingdom of heaven look like?” You should be able to answer, “Like a wedding banquet,” and that would be the correct response. But really, what does that mean?

 

First, let’s break down the different parts of this parable. A king representing the kingdom of heaven is mentioned. Who is that king? God is the king.

 

So then, who is the son that is getting married? Jesus.

 

Pretty straightforward, right? The king is God, and the son to be married is Jesus. But we know that the descriptions of the kingdom of heaven are the secrets of heaven that are opened and fulfilled at the time of the second coming.

 

Jesus was prophesying about what would take place in the future, and people needed to understand and be ready for what was promised. So, at the time of the second coming, we should be expecting a wedding to take place.

 

Who here was expecting a wedding to take place at the second coming? I hope so. But we’re here, and we’re studying.

A wedding must take place, for it is prophesied. But what kind of wedding? A wedding where we’ll all be dressed like this?

All right, here we go. Let’s crawl down the aisle. Well, something like that.

 

Well, let’s understand in a little bit more detail. Let’s now turn to the book of Revelation. And I’m going to give us details about who is the bride, for we haven’t talked about the bride yet in this situation.

These are the words of the Son of God. Revelation chapters 2 and 3 contain letters sent from Jesus through a messenger to the seven churches. 

 

In each letter, Jesus provides specific details about what the church has done and what it needs to do to repent. This is the context for Revelation 2:18. It starts by saying, “These are the words of the Son of God.”

 

However, the Son of God is also referred to by another title. If we look at verses 26 to 29, pay attention to how the Son of God is mentioned there.

Let’s examine some details mentioned here that need to be given to the one who overcomes.

 

A white stone, an iron scepter, and a morning star must be bestowed upon them. Keep in mind that the morning star must be given to the one who overcomes, along with the iron scepter.

 

And what did the last verse state? Verse 29 says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

 

But which Spirit is speaking here? It is Jesus speaking. So, it refers to Jesus as the Spirit.

 

And Jesus intends to marry, as the one participating in the wedding banquet prophesied in Matthew 22. Let’s examine a few more details here. What else is given to the one who overcomes?

 

Revelation 10:8-11 should provide us with a clue regarding this.

John was given the open scroll that Jesus had opened, and his task was to deliver the word he received and consumed to many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. Jesus did not entrust the open scroll to just anyone, but to one with a crucial mission, akin to Paul and the disciples, to make numerous children of the word being received in that era, our era.

 

Let us now turn to Revelation 22 to comprehend the relationship of this in greater detail. And let us read further about the messenger who must be sent.

The text suggests that John was witnessing these revelations unfold before him. After seeing all these things, he fell down at the feet of the angel who was showing them to him. 

 

Then, Jesus says, “I have sent my angel or messenger to the churches.” Jesus refers to Himself in a particular way. 

 

Did you notice what Jesus called Himself at the end of verse 16? He said, “I am the offspring of David and the morning star that he also promised to give the one who overcomes in Revelation 2.”

 

This is no accident. There are no accidents in the Bible.

 

The text then directs our attention to Revelation chapter 19, specifically the verse that talks about the wedding at the second coming.

What was promised?

 

It was foretold that the bride would prepare herself with fine linen for the wedding banquet of the Lamb, and blessed are those invited. As we saw in Revelation 22, the Spirit and the bride say, “Come, come, come to the wedding banquet,” for the wedding banquet is taking place. But where must it occur?

 

At the same place where the Lamb is. And where is the Lamb?

 

In Revelation 14, the Lamb is at Mount Zion.

 

That is the location of the wedding banquet. That is where it will transpire. And there are some details we’ll cover now about how we know and how we can find this location, and what we need to be present at this location.

 

Let’s revisit Matthew 22:3-4, because they discuss what food will be served at the wedding banquet.

God’s oxen and fattened cattle have been made ready. What do these figurative representations mean? 

 

Because these are the things that will be offered at the wedding banquet, the meal that will be given there. So if we want to understand if we’re at Mount Zion and the wedding banquet is taking place, this needs to be served at that wedding banquet.

 

Let’s now think back to the figurative animals in prophecy. Do we remember the animals of betrayal, the animals of destruction, and the animals of salvation? One of the animals of salvation was the oxen.

 

And do we remember what the oxen’s job was? What does an oxen do? They’re workers. And in 1 Corinthians 9:9-10, Paul refers to oxen as people, workers of God who are treading the grain and who will take part in the harvest. But these oxen are being eaten.

 

They are being butchered, which is not a good thing. Why are God’s workers being butchered? What happened to them that they are now being butchered and served up at the wedding banquet? Oh, we’re covering many new things today. What may have happened to them at the second coming that they are being butchered?

 

Rebellion happens before destruction. Those that once belonged to God betrayed and are now being butchered and offered at the wedding banquet. And who ate them or who destroyed them? Those that are now fattened, which means they just had a meal. Destroyers.

 

Who destroyed the betrayers? Think back to the parable in the time of Joseph, right? The seven healthy cows were eaten by the seven skinny cows. Essentially, the same logic applies here. What does it mean that they are butchered? They were judged by the word of testimony.

 

This is the first time we’re hearing this. Again, we will see this again, so don’t worry if you’re still not connecting the dots. But it’s important to mention these things because if a place claims to be where the wedding banquet is, they need to have a proper explanation of the food that is being offered there. Who, what, when, where, why, and how – these details must be mentioned, or that place is not the true wedding banquet.

 

So, more details as to what we should be looking for. At this wedding banquet, God expects everyone to be prepared, to be qualified. And there are three things needed for that person to be qualified.

 

At the end of Matthew 22, someone is thrown out of the wedding banquet because of what? What were they thrown out for? What were they lacking? They didn’t have the right clothes on. 

Qualifications: 

1. One needs to be wearing their wedding clothes (heart, word, and actions | Deeds).

And we talked about figurative clothes, right? Hearts, actions, and doctrine. One’s clothes were not on.

In Matthew 25, we see the parable of two types of virgins. They were waiting for the master to return so that they could marry the master. And what other two things are also necessary for the wedding banquet?

 

2. The lamp (the Word)

3. The oil (The Word of Testimony)

 

All of these things are needed for the wedding banquet of the Lamb. So, let’s be prepared with all of these things at the time of the second coming, so that we are not caught off guard.

4. Satan’s Groom and Bride

So, what was said here about the judgment of Babylon and what will be no more when Babylon is judged? The voice of the bridegroom and the bride will not be heard again.

 

We know that the bridegroom, or the groom, represents a spirit. The bridegroom is the devil or Satan, and also the demons that are in Babylon.

 

And they work through brides, or flesh. These brides deliver their own types of seed and produce their own types of children. We must not be a part of this wedding banquet that is happening. We don’t want to be those who are married to demons, as it says in Revelation 18:2-3.

 

That’s not where I want to be. I don’t want to be at a place like this because there is one who produces many children.

 

Revelation 17:1-5 talks about the prostitute, and it also calls this prostitute a mother. Meaning, this prostitute produces others. I don’t want this to be me, and I don’t want to be a part of a place like this. No, not me, not mine, and not anyone here in this class. So, we have to discern.

 

If these places are prophesied to appear, they will appear. And they have already appeared. So, we have to discern.

5. Figurative Widow and Orphan

What about the widow and the orphans?

 

Satan has his groom and bride. A widow is one who was once married to God but betrayed Him. So, think of a betrayer as a widow.

 

Once of God, and things were going well. And they had a wonderful congregation that was growing well. But something happens, and God’s spirit leaves. Because God’s spirit leaves, there is no more room in that relationship. So, the pastor at this location now has a word that is no longer open and becomes a widow.

 

And the congregation becomes orphans in that situation, fatherless, because the spirit of God has left that place, and the truth is no longer being spoken there. We don’t want to be at this place either, because both of these places come to an end. Both of these places are judged at the second coming by God’s grace. May it come quickly.

Memorization

Let’s Us Discern